May 15, 2001 12:27 PM
8365 Views
I had written the following Under AIWA..as at that time MS had not started this option of ''General Advice''...I hope I am not doing anything wrong in repeating (rather copy-pasting)..the objective is to try and give good information........
I have read many reviews on various audio systems here. I would like to list below a few things one must always look into before deciding to buy an audio system. Most brands today are marketing their products based on PMPO or LOOKS or FEATURES, which are mere Gadgets. Very few are being marketed on the basis of quality of music.
The following are few points that one must bar in mind before choosing a particular “Audio System” ALL this information will always be mentioned in the “specifications” section of the systems “Owner’s or Instruction Manual” of the audio system.
First and foremost I would say is the OUTPUT of the Amplifier. Most brands advertise high power output…viz..1500…2000…2500 ..some even 10000 watts PMPO. The output in terms of PMPO is the most misleading factor. PMPO merely indicates the how loud a system can sound at its full volume. What one must look for is RMS output. RMS gives the output of a system at any level of volume..meaning its capability of rendering good quality music even at low volumes. Very often a system giving 1000 watts PMPO gives only about 15 or 20 watts of RMS. If you are looking for a system/amplifier, that gives you really good quality music…you should be looking for a system that gives atleast 40 to 50 watts RMS.
Second is Frequency Response. The amplifier (if separate) or amplifier section (if “compo”) should give atleast a range of 20 Hz. To 20,000 Hz. The cassette deck should give 20 Hz. To 18,000 Hz. and the CD player 2 Hz. to 20,000 Hz. If you find any audio system that gives anything less, don’t touch it…if any gives a wider range, ask the shopkeeper about the authenticity of the company manufacturing the product.
Third would be on case you are going in for a four or five speaker “surround sound”. Many, audio-systems offer a “surround sound” by merely giving “mid-range” speakers, that go in the rear. This is not really “surround”…Real “Surround Sound” technology requires the amplifier itself to filter the “Mid-Range” frequencies output through the rear speaker jacks. This may not be well described in the “manual” …you will have to ask the shop-owner for clarification regarding this.
The Signal-To-Noise ratio in amplifier and cassette decks should be around 70 dB and CD-player should be about 95 to 98 dB…and the Total Harmonic Distortion should be around 0.02 % in amplifier and cassette deck and 0.005% in CD players. But this is normally achieved by most popular brands.
I do hope this will be helpful in deciding. I am no engineer, if I have erred in any way I would love to be corrected.
